Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, receiving the petition from the leader of the demonstrators, Mr Stephen Owusu at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council
Hundreds of customers of First Allied Savings and Loan Limited (FAS&LL) yesterday hit the streets of Kumasi to protest against the failure of the financial institution to pay them their monies for a period of five months.
The angry protesters said the inability of the Savings and Loans Limited to pay the monies has deprived them of their livelihood and destroyed their businesses.
Management of First Allied S&L previously attributed the delay in paying the monies to network challenges.
But the customers asserted that the financial institution was on the verge of collapse since it lacked liquid cash to pay them.
Over 200 customers began the march from the Children’s Park through Labour Roundabout to Adum and pitched camp at one of the branches of First Allied Bank.
Presenting the petition to the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah, leader of the protesters, Stephen Owusu, called on government to intervene in the matter, stating that “it was absolutely outrageous that the firm has failed to pay depositors.
“We know the President will do it for us. He is the father of the land,” one of the protesters confidently stated.
“We protested to send a message to managers of First Allied Savings and Loans Limited that they cannot simply go to sleep while we suffer.”
Holding placards with inscriptions such “We can’t sleep,” “We are hungry,” “First Allied, we need our cash,” “BoG come to our aid,” the protesters indicated that efforts to access their funds over the period had proved futile.
The Ashanti Regional Minister Osei-Mensah, on his part, gave assurance that the petition would be forwarded to the Economic Management Team of government for appropriate action to be taken.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi